Stuffing Box

[Sean]

I have been sailing a 1977 Cat 27 for about 7 months now with an Atomic 4 engine. The stuffing box use to work as expected with several drips (never really measured) and I was drying my bilge after each use. The last couple of trips I have had no water in the bilge and after checking the box is no longer dripping. I have heard warnings about loosening the nut while in the water.....how realistic is this? Are there any other concerns which I should be aware of? Thanks for the help!

 

[Dave]

Sean: I am assuming that you have a standard type of stuffing box. No problem in loosing the lock nut and backing it off a quarter of turn and then loosing the main box until you get a drip then retightening the lock nut. If you back off too much you will indeed get more water. Just turn the other way to slow it down. You need to get the lock nut tight or you stand a chance of the main box loosing up while under way. I am also a commercial fisherman in addition to owning a C27 and in over 30 years of dealing with stuffing boxes while the vessel is in the water have never had any trouble. You DO want to have the boat out of the water when you replace the waxed flax that is inside the big nut. Also, you DO want to have a small drip while underway...this cools the box.....I always tighten things up for the winter when the boat is not in use so that there is no additional water to enter the bilge and subject to freezing.....DAVE